Beekeeping

[CloverKnollFarms]

Building cleats and "armored" a few traps for the killer squirrels at this ONE farm I swarm trap on. Here is some of the damage they caused.

 

[ponytug]

Have you considered stainless steel angle strips for the "killer squirrels". I've had squirrels make pretty short work of aluminum...

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Have you considered stainless steel angle strips for the "killer squirrels". I've had squirrels make pretty short work of aluminum...

This is what I have, so we will see if they eat 1/16" aluminum

 

[thclimer]

Around here porcupines will do that to wood. We do have a few squirrels but many other predators keep them in check.

 

[EddieWalker]

It doesn't apply to this, but on houses that I work on for clients, I've found that 1/2 inch Hardie Backer stops squirrels and racoons.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

cloverknoll, I was doom scrolling through facebook yesterday and saw a picture that I recognized. It was the swarm trap with the french cleat. Your wife posted it in a group. I almost commented on it but i thought that would look kind of stalker-ish... It's kind of like the digital version of bumping into an acquaintance at the store...

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

cloverknoll, I was doom scrolling through facebook yesterday and saw a picture that I recognized. It was the swarm trap with the french cleat. Your wife posted it in a group. I almost commented on it but i thought that would look kind of stalker-ish... It's kind of like the digital version of bumping into an acquaintance at the store...

View attachment 3025113

That would have been fine

I don't use social media, so she is the FB poster.

Hopefully she has plenty of swarm and cut out content to post in the following months

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Got the field planted. One acre of phacelia

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Got the field planted. One acre of phacelia View attachment 3044293View attachment 3044753View attachment 3044771View attachment 3045064

Show picture after it blooms.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Assembled 50+ frames today. Another 42 to go... That "should" help me get through the year.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Finished some aluminum work on a few traps, using scrap.

Got a call from a fella I sold hives to this winter. He bought hives and frames from another builder, and the frames are ****... So I'll be building 50 for him to replace them.

 

[EddieWalker]

This could turn into a full-time business!!!!

 

[ponytug]

@CloverKnollFarms 50!!!wow!

 

[Eaglesfate]

@CloverKnollFarms any suggestions on how to prevent damage/ tearing out of the corners on the boxes?

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

@CloverKnollFarms any suggestions on how to prevent damage/ tearing out of the corners on the boxes?

From squirrels? Yup. I now use 1/16" thick aluminum angle pieces

 

[Eaglesfate]

From squirrels? Yup. I now use 1/16" thick aluminum angle pieces

While I have had issues with those annoying brown speed bumps, I am more interested in preventing damage from separating the boxes, normally the corners.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

While I have had issues with those annoying brown speed bumps, I am more interested in preventing damage from separating the boxes, normally the corners.

Separating boxes, you mean supers?

If so, we don't have supers... We have one box. No supers. No lifting. No separating

 

[Eaglesfate]

I guess that does reduce the likelihood of damage, does the bees not propalize the cover shut?

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I guess that does reduce the likelihood of damage, does the bees not propalize the cover shut?

They will put some propolis there, but not enough to keep it from opening. The lids fit very tight, so there isn't much of a gap to induce propolizing.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

It's 80F and sunny, so I hung 5 swarm traps in a 20 mile radius. All areas have provided swarms for us in the past years.